Christy, Author at Gardenerd

Growing Kale – Ironman of the Garden

There's a thing that happens when someone discovers kale for the first time. They become addicted to it. Well, maybe not addicted, but if their experience is anything like mine was, they can't get enough of it. My intro to kale was with Esalen's Raw Kale Salad and I've been growing kale ever since.

What kind of kale is best? It depends upon your preference. Many people like the color and texture of Italian kale, also known as Lacinato (laa-chee-nah-toe) or Dinosaur kale, and because it is not ...

Post author:Christy
Post published:April 6, 2011
Post category:What's Growin' On
Post comments:4 Comments

The Truth about Seed Balls

You've seen the news clips about seed balls being dispensed from gum ball machines and tossed lazily amongst the weeds in vacant lots, but what ever happens to them? Do they indeed sprout and blossom into beautiful wildflowers? Do they spruce up a desolate parkway in the midst of bustling city life?

I needed to find out for myself. So I bought two packages of seed balls for the Test Garden.

One set of seed balls was designed for hummingbirds, with larkspur, ...

Post author:Christy
Post published:April 5, 2011
Post category:What's Growin' On
Post comments:0 Comments

Great Sunflower Project

The Great Sunflower Project encourages people living in urban areas to plant sunflowers, as well as other beneficial insectaries, to attract bees and other food pollinators to dense urban spaces. This week's tip of the week will show you how to get involved!

Post author:Christy
Post published:April 1, 2011
Post category:Blog
Post comments:0 Comments

My, What Trellises You Have

A question came in this week to Ask Gardenerd:

"I was cycling in Silverlake and saw your garden you've setup for a greyish building! It looked great! I was especially intrigued by the interesting bean & tomato trellises you have. I know this is technically "consulting", but where can I get my hands on some of those for my garden?"

You must mean the Dream Center Garden that I've been working on for over a year now. We planted 24 tomatoes and nearly 100 peas in just ...

Post author:Christy
Post published:March 31, 2011
Post category:Sage Advice
Post comments:0 Comments

Field Trip – San Francisco Garden Show

Question: What's more fun than planting your spring garden?

Answer: Going to a garden show filled with gardeners and garden gear to get new ideas about what to plant in your spring garden.

I ventured up to San Francisco last week to take in a convention-center-full of ideas and gardening joys. To my delight, there was a clear focus on edible landscaping and home food-gardening that offered fresh insight for home growers. A few favorites jumped out, so let's get right to it:

...

Post author:Christy
Post published:March 30, 2011
Post category:What's Growin' On
Post comments:2 Comments

Romantic Notions of Roasted Vegetables

In my early years of cooking, I found that my attempts at roasting vegetables ended with deflated, soggy lumps that once resembled fresh veggies. Perhaps that is why I still hold romantic notions about serving amazingly caramelized, oven-roasted, Mediterranean fare cooked to perfection at elegant parties.

Well, it may not have been an elegant party - just a thrown-together dinner for two based on this romantic notion - but success was finally achieved in the roasted vegetable department.

First, the old stand-by - baked/roasted home grown potatoes: ...

Post author:Christy
Post published:March 23, 2011
Post category:What's Growin' On
Post comments:1 Comment

Bamboo Insanity

Oh, the trouble with bamboo... here's a question that came in this week on the subject: "I attended a class of yours a few years ago. Since then, we had a planter built in my yard out of railroad ties. There was a think fabric base placed underneath to block out weeds and bugs. As we prepared for spring planting this week, we discovered that bamboo has infiltrated everything. It grew under the fabric base and worked it's way through…

Post author:Christy
Post published:March 22, 2011
Post category:Sage Advice

Triticale and Its Many Uses

Trita-who? No, it’s not a leafy green, but it sounds like it depending on how you pronounce it. Learn more about this grain with this week's tip of the week!

Post author:Christy
Post published:March 18, 2011
Post category:Blog
Post comments:0 Comments